Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3) Review

Posted by Armando Rodriguez on 09.26.2009

The greatest superhero game ever made? Oh yeah!


Game: Batman: Arkham Asylum
Published by: Eidos Interactive
Developed by: Rocksteady Studios
Genre: Action/Adventure
Players: 1
Rated T for Teen

As much as I wanted to buy into the pre-release hype for Batman: Arkham Asylum, I never did, in part because of the horrible history of superhero-based video games. Then came my time with the demo, which showed the combat and predator elements of the game. I was impressed, but still not convinced. Finally, I decided to pick the game up and give it a try. I am glad I did, because Batman: Arkham Asylum is not only the best superhero video game I have ever played, but also a serious candidate for Game of the Year.

Story:

WARNING: This review might contain spoilers

The game begins with Batman taking Joker back to Arkham Asylum after he held the mayor hostage. As he arrives on Arkham and talks with Commissioner Gordon and Warden Quincy Sharp, Batman notes that Joker “gave up without a fight” and that something strange is going on. Joker quickly escapes with the assistance of Harley Quinn and reveals that it was all a trap to get rid of Batman once and for all. Now Joker has the Warden, Commissioner Gordon and the doctors and officers of Arkham Asylum trapped and Batman has to rescue them all and stop Joker’s evil plot. Soon it is also revealed that Joker’s thugs are stationed at Arkham after a fire on Blackgate Prison forced them to the moved to Arkham, a fire that the Joker naturally started in the first place.

This starts a fantastic plotline that involves the use of the Venom drug, the drug that turns Bane into the super-human monstrosity that he is, and also features appearances by other Batman super villains like Killer Croc, Poison Ivy and Victor Zsasz. The story is so good that it could be turned into a movie and I would pay to see it. It is clearly centered on the comic book universe and not in the recent films, which means it retains an element of fantasy and requires suspension of disbelief, but it keeps you hooked until the end of the game and has a satisfying conclusion.



Gameplay:

The gameplay in Batman is fantastic and really captures every aspect of the Batman character, besides driving, since there is no way to drive the Batmobile or pilot the Batwing in the game. In order to better analyze every aspect, I will break it down to parts.

The combat in the game is fantastic. It is so good, I think the developers came up with the perfect method to develop a beat-‘em-up game on modern consoles. It actually feels a bit like a rhythm game, as you combine strikes, counters, evades and the use of special attacks, like a stun attack performed with the cape, the use of the batclaw and batarangs, takedowns, throws and ground attacks into a flawless combo. Dealing with dozens of enemies at once feels as easy and intuitive as if you where fighting a single opponent, like a well-coordinated ballet (albeit much more violent) with Batman gliding, punching, kicking and countering. The takedowns look absolutely spectacular, and you will see Batman twist arms and ankles, with a satisfying crunch that signifies a broken bone. The only thing I can complain about is that there is no blood in the game, but it is a minor complaint. The enemies you face are not the smartest, but because they have the advantage in numbers and some of them are armed, they pose a decent challenge. Armed enemies include those with pipes (they can hit you from farther away, so the counter-button press needs to be quicker), those with knives, that require you to stun them before you are able to deal damage, those with rifles (I bet you know how to deal with them) and those with electric batons. The electric baton enemies are tricky, since they can only be hurt from behind, or after making them drop their weapon. Enemies will also rip bricks from the walls to throw at you. Overall I am very satisfied with the enemy variety. Just wait until you see a Titan henchman!



The second biggest element on the game is the “Predator” sequences. In these areas you need to use stealth and Batman’s infrared vision to deal with armed enemies. The idea is to scare enemies and split them up, so that they are easy pickings. There is quite a few ways to take them down and use Batman’s gadgets to cause havoc, getting them all scared and jumpy. I still laugh out loud when an enemy starts shooting at a random item because he is afraid or when they say stuff like “I am as good as dead!”

Both of these elements show up in the game’s story mode, but can be further explored in the challenge rooms you unlock as you progress through the game. The combat challenges pit you against a group of enemies to see how high a score you can achieve, while the Predator challenges not only challenge you to complete the room as quickly as possible, but also achieve certain objectives like performing a silent takedown, exploding a wall into a group of enemies or perform a takedown through a glass window/floor. In the PS3 version you can also play as The Joker in the challenge rooms. Joker plays a lot like Batman, but his moves are different, more theatric and exaggerated. He also uses a gun, which is really cool. The Predator challenges are more difficult with Joker since he lacks Batman’s Predator vision and his substitute, some weird glasses, cant be used while moving.

Like I mentioned above, both of these elements show up in the Story Mode, but in the Story Mode you get to do even more Batman stuff. This is probably the first Batman game that lets you play the Detective side of Batman. You will need to acquire clues, such as DNA and fingerprints to track subjects, explore hidden locations within Arkham and use such gadgets as line launchers and frequency decrypters. The Story Mode is enhanced by The Riddler’s challenges. Edward Nigma has placed trophies, interview tapes, maps and other things within Arkham for you to find and has quite a few riddles for you to solve. These all use your detective vision, gadgets and curiosity and some are really satisfying. Most of the riddles unlock character bios, while trophies unlock challenge rooms and character trophies. After you complete the game the entire island opens up so you can go back and explore, looking for those riddles and trophies that you missed the first time around because you didn’t have the right gadget at the time. In a way it feels like Castlevania or Metroid, as you have fun going back to previously visited areas whenever you get a new gadget and see exactly what kind of stuff you can find thanks to your new toy.



There is also the mystery of Amadeus Arkham for you to solve and it was probably my favorite diversion, since the story itself is intriguing and keeps you wanting to find the next piece if only to hear what happened next.

As much as Batman and Joker are the protagonists of the game, so is Arkham Asylum. The Asylum is as interesting to explore as any other structure ever presented in a video game. As you explore it you will wonder exactly how insane are the patients stationed there as sometimes it looks more like a torture chamber than a hospital. It has an aura of mystery about it and a sense of lurking creepiness that wants you to keep going and uncover its secrets.

Graphics:

The graphics are very well done as well. The models for the important characters, such as Batman, Joker, Gordon and the rest of the super villains look amazing and move realistically. The generic thugs also look good and animate well, but since they are “generic”, character models repeat themselves often. Still, they look really good, some have face paint, others have stitches around their heads that make them look like Hannibal Lecter’s latest meal and some even have protruding “horn-like” hair…..or is it horns? Batman looks great and the way he evolves during the story mode makes you feel like it really is one long night for the caped crusader. You will see his suit get scratched, his cape tear up a little and even a small amount of blood in his lower lip after a particularly brutal fight.

The environments are equally excellent. Even with the game confined to one location, the environments can be quite different. The Botanical Gardens are full of plants that grow among the old walls; the Medical Center has enough variety to feel like a real hospital and so on. Every area of Arkham feels alive and different, but retaining enough common aspects to make it feel like it belongs in the whole scheme of things.

I only found minor things to complain about. There are some far away places that you can look at and are clearly designed with low-res textures and the camera can be problematic sometimes, but not enough to break the game.



Sound:

The sound is as good as the graphics. The voice acting done by Mark Hamill, Kevin Conroy and Arleen Sorkin (Harley Quinn) greatly enhances your experience with the game; giving the characters the same voices they had in the Animated Series. They also recorded a lot of dialogue for the generic thugs, giving them their own personality. The music and sound effects also fit well within the Batman world, in particular the sounds of combat, punches and broken bones.

Lasting Appeal:

There are three difficulties to try the game on, although the differences are minimal. For example, in my jump from Normal to Hard I just noticed that enemies seem to deal more damage and that the counter indicator is gone, forcing you to rely on your own visual ability and your “feel” for the combat system. Yes, eventually you get a feel for it that allows you to predict attacks and counter even without the indicator. However, I still recommend players to start in Normal and then move up. Trust me, the story and the game is so good that is worth playing it two or three times. The challenge rooms you unlock (and those released as FREE DLC!) add a ton of replay value as well. The Combat challenges are more repayable, even after you get all three medals. Competing for a high score and seeing how long you can extend your combos is a thrill. The Predator Challenges are fun as well, but once you get all three medals per room, the thrill is gone. Personally I found myself way more invested in the Combat Rooms, but I guess that is my natural inclination for beat-em-up games. The combat system is so good that they should sell it to companies that want to make a good beat-em-up (like a new Final Fight or Streets of Rage).

There is no multiplayer and you can get around 70% of the trophies on a single play through, but expect to play another hour or two after you beat the game in order to get all the trophies and riddles you missed. Between the challenge rooms and the story mode, it should take you 15-20 hours to get 100%. Not bad for a single player game.



Fun Factor:

I guess the game’s fun factor depends on your familiarity with the game’s characters and setting. Yes, even if you don’t like Batman, the game’s combat system and overall gameplay is good enough to make it a good game. But if you like Batman, then this will be a Godsend. This is hands down, the must fun I have had with a superhero game.

The 411:

When January rolls around and it is time to vote on the 411mania’s year end awards it is going to be very difficult for me not to vote for Batman: Arkham Asylum for Game of the Year. Yes, I know Uncharted 2 is around the corner and that it will be awesome, but Batman has all the tools to be the must have game of 2009. Everything clicks to make you FEEL like Batman and it delivers the new benchmark from which superhero games will be judged in the future.

Graphics	9.6	Excellent character models and great environments make this one of the best looking games of the year.
Gameplay	9.2	Excellent combat system and great use of Batman's gadgets and detective skills.
Sound	9.5	The voice acting is superb featuring recognizable voices from the TV series. The sound effects fit the game well, with devastating combat sounds.
Lasting Appeal	8.5	The game's story mode takes around 10 hours to complete. The challenge rooms add a lot of replay value and prove to be addicting.
Fun Factor	9.5	This game captures the essence of being Batman and makes you feel like the Caped Crusader. Thumbs WAY up!
Overall	9.4   [  Amazing ]

Screenshots
All 9 Batman: Arkham Asylum Screenshots